Wednesday, April 10, 2019

Interview with Jennifer Slattery & spotlight of Restoring Her Faith


We're happy to have Jennifer Slattery with us talking about her Love Inspired book Restoring Her Faith.  To learn more about Jennifer and her book please read on!

Back cover blurb
She left belief behind…
Yet this family could change her mind


With two boys to raise, a fledgling contracting business to run and a family ranch to keep afloat, widower Drake Owens finds his hands aren’t just full—they’re overflowing. When Faith Nichols is hired to help him renovate the church, he’s drawn to the beautiful artist, but he can’t fall for a woman who isn’t a believer. Can love restore her faith…and his heart?

Please tell us five random things we might not know about you.
I have a fierce ice cream addiction which my husband encourages. I may have three containers of Blue Bunny Peanut Butter Party ice cream in my fridge at this moment—as he wants to see I never run out! My daughter jokes that I would quickly choose coffee over dinner, if forced to make a choice—and she’s not entirely wrong. I would also much prefer a leisurely walk with my man on a sunny day than a fancy steak dinner. I’ve attended eight colleges in five different states but only acquired one degree. I’m a terrible cook.

Why did you choose to write this book?
Normally, my story ideas start with a character—her struggle, fears, dreams, etc. But this time, it began with a church. A series of churches, actually, sprinkled throughout Texas. They’re known as the Painted Churches of Texas, and they are gorgeous. I was immediately drawn to their artistry, the symbolism in many of their images, and the history behind them. As I spent time learning about these churches, Faith, my heroine, emerged, and the plot took form.

What one thing about writing do you wish non-writers would understand? 
Hm … That God made me to be strange. It’s just a symptom of the creative brain. ;)

What is the toughest test you've faced as a writer?
These are questions I’ve never thought of. I think the toughest test will likely be a continual one—will I serve myself or stay obedience to Christ, however He leads.

What do you hope readers to take away from your novel?
That faith can carry us through really difficult challenges, families can stay strong through chaos if they hold tight to one another, and close-knit communities make life easier and more fun.
What accomplishment(s) are you most proud of, writing-related or not?
Holding tight to my marriage and (both my husband and I) choosing to get help and push through when we wanted to quit. We almost got divorced some 20 years ago but God radically transformed our marriage, and I’m so glad He did. And that, by His grace, we stayed.

Please give us the first page of the book.
The long, deserted road felt much too similar to one Faith had taken decades before, with all her belongings crammed in a pair of tattered suitcases. Hopefully Sage Creek would be nothing like her experience in Alpine, back when she’d been a gawky, metal-mouthed kid in desperate need of a friend.
She’d received taunting and rejection instead.
Her cell phone rang, and she glanced at the screen. It was her best friend, Toni. As a fellow artist fighting to survive Austin’s competitive market, she understood Faith in a way few others did.
She answered through her Bluetooth. “Hey, girl. What’s up?”
“Girls’ night out this Friday. Bahn mi French fries, baby!”
“Sounds fun but can’t. I’m on my way to that contract job I told you about. I’m just over fifteen miles out. With no sign of civilization, except the occasional longhorn, in sight.”
“You make Sage Creek sound so appealing.”
Faith glanced at her wobbly trailer through her rearview mirror, packed with, she hoped, everything she’d need to restore Trinity Faith’s historic stained glass windows, which had decorated the church since its founding. “Let’s just say I haven’t had the best experience with small town Texans.”
“Not all ranching communities measure a person’s worth based on how well they bake a casserole. Besides, those people didn’t hire you to make friends.”
“True.” She was going to, hopefully, get some media exposure, enough to salvage her career. If she, and whoever else she’d be working with, pulled this job off well, the church stood a good chance of receiving historical status. “Depending on how this deal turns out, I may even be able to get Jeremy Pratt from Lone Star Gems to write a feature article on me.”
“Wow. Just a mention in that magazine would for sure get folks’ attention. But a full story? That’d put your name on the map for sure.”
She gripped her steering wheel with both hands as something black—a tire?—came barreling toward her in the opposite lane, while a red pickup screeched past, throwing sparks.
She screamed and slammed on her brakes. Her trailer tugged right, then left as the oncoming tire rammed into her front end. It bounced off, flying ten feet into the adjacent field.
Smoke seeped from beneath her hood as she veered onto the shoulder, and the acrid stench of burning rubber pricked her nose.
“Faith, you okay?”
“I…” Her throat felt scratchy. What had happened? “Can I call you back? I was just hit by a…a flying tire. The front of my car is smoking.”
Her supplies! She shot a glance to her trailer—lying on its side—behind her. She groaned and closed her eyes.
Faith pressed trembling fingers to her temples. Now what? All her sheets of specially ordered glass, potentially shattered. She didn’t have time to order new. And what about the damage done to her car? Fighting the urge to hyperventilate, she focused on her breathing—in through her nose, out through her mouth. In, out…
Did Sage Creek even have a mechanic? Probably one that charged outsiders ten times what they should. Through her rearview window, she watched a tall, broad-shouldered cowboy step out of his now lopsided truck. Dressed in faded jeans and a Stetson, the man had to be at least six foot five and was built like a linebacker.

 What do you do for fun when not writing?
I love spending time with my husband, our adult daughter, her boyfriend, and her dog. It doesn’t hugely matter what we do, though playing games always leads to laughs. Oh, and coffee must be included at some point. I also love spending time with my friends and reading. Does brainstorming count as writing? Because that’s crazy fun for me also!
What are you working on now? 
I’m plotting a book I plan to write a proposal for soon. I’m super excited about this one. It’s also set in Sage Creek.

Bio:
Jennifer Slattery is a writer and speaker who’s addressed women’s groups, church groups, Bible studies, and other writers across the nation. She’s the author of seven contemporary novels, including her latest release, Restoring Her Faith. She also maintains a devotional blog found at JenniferSlatteryLivesOutLoud.com. She has a passion for helping women discover, embrace, and live out who they are in Christ. As the founder of Wholly Loved Ministries, she and her team partner with churches to facilitate events designed to help women rest in their true worth and live with maximum impact. When not writing, reading, or editing, Jennifer loves going on mall dates with her adult daughter and coffee dates with her hilariously fun husband. Visit her online HERE to find out more about her writing, ministry, speaking engagements, or to book her for your next women’s event.

Where else can readers find you online?   
They can visit my website at JenniferSlatteryLivesOutLoud.com or find my blog on Crosswalk. They can also visit my ministry’s website, WhollyLoved.com, find me on Facebook, Twitter (though I’m nearly nonexistent there …) or Instagram.

No comments:

Post a Comment

Interview with Barbara M. Britton and spotlight of Lioness...

We're happy to have Barbara M. Britton with us talking about her book Lioness . To learn more about her and Lioness, please read o...